On Saturday, June 11th the Florida Chapter of BHA hosted it’s first youth archery workshop and 3D tournament in Delray Beach, Florida with the support of grant funding from the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida (FWFF). This event was the first in a series the chapter will host across the state with workshops in the central and north regions to follow later this year. The event, hosted at Gold Coast Archers Club in Palm Beach County, drew in over fifty guests with twenty-two youth participants and was open to both members and non-members of BHA, free of charge.
The day began with an introductory workshop aimed at teaching youth the fundamentals of archery. The workshop drew in a diverse group of boys and girls, ranging in age from five to thirteen years old. Through a partnership and equipment loan from the Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network (FYCCN), the chapter was able to provide all necessary equipment for participants to shoot.
Following the workshop, participants were able to put their new skills to the test as they shot a 3D tournament of twelve targets. Registration and scoring of the tournament was managed with the help of Brandon Baughman representing Skullhill Archery out of Okeechobee, Florida and each of the winners got to take home a trophy and lots of great prizes including brand new Bear Archery compound bows for first place in both the youth and kids category. After the tournament guests were treated to a free lunch generously prepared and served by Florida BHA volunteer Tyson Ward. Lunch also included a wild hog harvested by Florida BHA board member and Swamp N Stomp’s YouTube host Mark Barton.
Overall, it was a successful turnout with many positive experiences for those that made it out. For most of the kids, the workshop served as their first time shooting a bow and the outdoor setting of Gold Coast Archery made for a memorable day of outdoor experience with friends and family. The Florida Chapter would like to say a big thank you to FWFF, FYCCN, Skullhill Archery, Swamp N Stomp, and all the BHA volunteers that donated their time to make this event possible. As our chapter continues to focus on recruiting new hunters and bringing more folks to the outdoors, we hope to host more events like this in the near future, so stay tuned!
